WINNIPEG — If there are two things Manitobans love it’s Slurpees and free stuff, so next Wednesday should be a perfect storm.

For the 13 consecutive year Manitoba has been crowned Slurpee Capital of the World, 7-Eleven announced Thursday.

As a thank you to its customers -- especially Manitobans -- for 43 loyal years of Slurpee drinking, 7-Eleven is serving up nearly half a million of the 7.11 oz. cups for free at all its stores across the country between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., or until stocks last.

Manitoba has captured the Slurpee crown over the past 13 years for having the highest average number of Slurpee cups sold per store in a region, which can either be a city or a province depending on its population.

But its challengers are getting closer as Calgary and Detroit are hot on the heels of Manitoba, claiming second and third place respectively.

“It’s always a close battle but ultimately it’s a friendly one in North America,” said Tim Donegan, vice president for 7-Eleven Canada. “That said, we want to keep first place in Canada.”